March 14, 2007	Wednesday	Safar 24, 1428

BEIJIN: China will tighten controls on Internet blogs and webcasts in a response to new technologies that have allowed cyber citizens to avoid government censorship efforts, state press reported Tuesday.

Following a call from President Hu Jintao in January to “purify” the Internet, the ruling Communist Party will introduce new regulations targeting blogs and webcasts, one of the nation's chief censors was cited as saying.

“Advanced network technologies such as blogging and webcasting have been mounting new challenges to the government's ability to supervise the Internet,” Press and Publication Administration head Long Xinmin said, according to Xinhua news agency.Long said the government was in the middle of drafting the new regulations.—AFP